Tag: VET quality

Private education and training is the preferred choice of more than 50 per cent of students across Australia. It is highly innovative and responsive to the needs of industry. More than 2.2 million students choose to complete study or training with private providers in Australia.

The Student Choice Counts campaign is mobilising the community of students, employees and supporters of the private education and training sector against any policy change to limit student choice and undermine the viability of an important and competitive industry.

The risks:

Liberal and National parties and the ALP have announced major reviews and consultations into training and higher education. ACPET supports these measures but we need to make sure that outcomes do not penalise current or future students. Students must come first.

ALP policy announced during the election campaign would see an arbitrary cap on HELP training student loans, jeopardising student choice and affordability.

The ALP has also strongly indicated its intent to direct at least 70 per cent of funding to Government-owned TAFEs, stripping students of their right to study at their college of choice. TAFE alone cannot deliver the range of courses, to the number of students, in metropolitan, regional and rural locations across the country.

We support effective requirements to ensure only high quality providers can deliver public funded training.

24 June 2016 | Tertiary students studying at private higher education institutions are being unfairly and harshly penalised for their choice, according to the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET). ACPET CEO Rod Camm said students choosing private higher education providers were charged a 25 per cent fee payable on their student loans and denied access to Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs). ACPET is calling for both the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition to remove the 25 per cent fee payable on loans obtained through FEE-HELP which does not apply to university students accessing HECS-HELP. This reform would not only support greater student choice but address a fundamental inequity that has financially penalised some students simply because of their choice of higher education provider. This fee is simply indefensible….[ READ MORE ]….

23 June 2016 | Students from disadvantaged backgrounds risk being shut out of training under policy announced by the Australian Labor Party, according to the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET). ACPET CEO Rod Camm said that students whose only access to diploma level training was through student loans faced being shut out once more if proposed arbitrary caps on loan amounts were introduced. ACPET says that under Labor’s proposed $8,000 cap on training loans, many students from disadvantaged backgrounds will be turned away from training because they cannot afford to pay up-front fees. Camm says that ACPET members are concerned that, for many disadvantaged students, the threat this election is not just to choice, but their ability to access any sort of diploma level training at all….[READ MORE]….

17 June 2016 | The training choice of 2.2 million Australian students is at risk from outdated and ill-informed rhetoric from the Greens. The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) CEO Rod Camm said private training providers were an absolutely essential component of Australia’s training sector and the Green’s policy to stop all government funding to private providers posed enormous risk. The Australian training sector would collapse if private training providers were removed from the sector, he said….[ READ MORE]….

16 June 2016 | Australia needs a diverse higher education and training sector with quality private providers delivering choice and quality outcomes for students and employers. Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) CEO Rod Camm said student access to government funded training through quality private training providers was critical to meeting the future skill needs of Australia’s economy. “Private training has matured over the past 20 years and is the choice of employers and more than 2.2 million, or 57 per cent of Australian students, every year,” Mr Camm said. “Private training delivers strong job placement outcomes and delivers more flexible training options.”….[ READ MORE ]….

15 June 2016 | Private training providers have expressed their surprise and concern at yesterday’s Australian Labor Party (ALP) policy announcement to provide pre-apprenticeship training for 10,000 young people and to assist retrenched workers get their trade skills formally recognised. Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) CEO Rod Camm said that while improving pathways into apprenticeships was an important element in boosting the nation’s trade skills and providing real jobs, ACPET had considerable concerns about what the policy was really trying to do. “Continuing economic uncertainty and government training cuts have reduced the opportunities especially for our young job seekers” he said. “While the policy intent is supported, the ALP has missed an ideal opportunity to drive home the employment outcomes from this program by using private sector training providers. Put simply, private colleges have a proven ability to provide superior employment outcomes for job seekers and the ALP’s decision to only allocate funding to Government-run providers is a serious limitation.”….[ READ MORE ]….

9 June 2016 | Flexible learning, quality study programs and industry standard training are at risk for more than 2.2 million Australian students studying with private higher education and training providers each year. Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) Chief Executive Officer Rod Camm said private providers were an essential element of Australia’s higher education and training sector, offering students a wide choice of courses, flexible delivery options and access to industry professionals. “There are countless examples of how our members are meeting demand from Australia’s students and employers, right across the country,” he said….[ READ MORE ]….

8 June 2016 | Private training providers support the Australian Labor Party’s policy announcement to boost apprenticeship numbers if it wins the upcoming federal election. Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) CEO Rod Camm said apprenticeships and traineeships were key elements in providing jobs and skills, particularly for young people. “A combination of subdued economic circumstances and government training cuts have produced decade low levels of commencements which is reflected in the high unemployment levels amongst young job seekers,” he said. “Harnessing the government’s infrastructure program to boost apprenticeships and traineeships is an important step in boosting opportunities for those seeking a trade career.”….[ READ MORE ]….

27 May 2016 | Australia’s 2.2 million private education and training students are being urged to stand up for their right to choice during the Federal Election campaign. The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET), the national industry association for independent providers of post-compulsory education and training, is mobilising member, employer and student networks to address policy changes that would limit student choice and undermine the viability of a competitive industry. ACPET Chief Executive Officer Rod Camm said private education and training in Australia delivered jobs and growth, and provided nationally accredited and portable qualifications that delivered massive outcomes for the economy. However, the sector is under threat from reactionary policy changes that would punish both students and good quality private providers. “Policy announcements including an intention to direct the vast majority of vocational training funding to Government-run TAFEs and an arbitrary $8,000 cap on Help loans will strip students of their right to study at their college of choice,” Mr Camm said. “Suggestions that at least 70 per cent of funding will go to a Government-owned provider and that government will choose the courses that will be funded, and at what price, can only lead to another major public policy failure….[ READ MORE ]….

24 May 2016 | Students and industry would be the big losers under a Greens Party policy to lock out all private training providers from vocational education and training. Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) CEO Rod Camm said the proposal put forward by the Greens would be a disaster taking away students’ right to choose their training provider and their preferred course, whilst unfairly punishing high quality private training providers right across Australia. “This type of policy is exactly what ACPET is urging all parties to avoid this election. Students should be able to choose exactly where and what they want to study,” he said….[ READ MORE ]….

6 May 2016 | The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) has today warned that good quality training providers will be the victims of Labor’s unfair training loan caps, announced in Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s budget reply speech overnight. ACPET CEO Rod Camm has today questioned how such arbitrary change could be fair on students, and warned that a government imposed price of $8000, with no reference to market forces, would punish good quality private training providers and put thousands of jobs in the private training sector at risk….[ READ MORE ]….

Data released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) show the continuing fundamental role of TAFE, as the public provider network, but also demonstrate a worrying failure in scrutiny by policy makers, according to TAFE Directors Australia.

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The NCVER report Total VET students and courses 2014 reveals the huge growth in the VET sector to 3.9 million students – almost three times the number in the higher education sector. The data also show:

TAFE and private providers deliver roughly the same number of training hours nationally (41% by TAFE and 45% by private providers) but TAFE remains the dominant provider of Commonwealth/state government funded training;

TAFE training is the preferred delivery for the trades, engineering and related fields, management and commerce and community and personal services – all areas vital to the economy;

The high average number of students in each TAFE institute relative to private providers demonstrates TAFE’s capacity to outstrip private providers in providing quality services for students;

TAFE remains the dominant provider of international trans-national VET delivery.

TDA director Martin Riordan says the report also reveals how ill-informed Australian policy makers have remained until now, on the operations of half of Australia’s training market. Under the open market environment prevailing in the VET sector:

….private, for-profit providers have collectively exploded as an industry, with the data showing they now deliver to two-thirds of the VET student population.

While Parliament voted down the higher education deregulation legislation under former Education and Training Minister Pyne, the Commonwealth proceeded with VET FEE-HELP loans, in a deregulated open market, on an unprecedented scale.

Riordan points out that this occurred even after the federal regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), continually published warnings about the high risks of many private providers and their questionable marketing practices:

This data actually shows that more than half of the federal funding for VET and VET FEE-HELP student loans – totalling $9.1 billion a year – has been allocated to providers without the scrutiny and data disclosures required for other Commonwealth programs.

While TAFE has been held to account by rigorous reporting to respective state and territory governments, and has been transparent in contributing to NCVER’s national data collection, governments and communities have had very little information about the quality, credentials and motives of the majority of training providers, many of whom are for-profit.

Riordan says the ongoing risk raises a number of questions:

What financial disclosures by training providers should be required in order to obtain access to public training funds and student loans?

Why has it taken so long for lobby groups for private, for-profit colleges to come forward and support such information sharing? and

What critical decisions about VET reform have been made by governments without access to the data, and what changes should be made to governance of this massive tertiary education sector?

Are vocational streams the key to producing a more adaptable workforce?

Vocational streams could offer a framework for creating better connections between qualifications and jobs than the traditional approach based on specific skill sets for narrowly defined occupations.Show more…

NCVER’s research prospectus is full steam ahead

Through the introduction of the new research prospectus, NCVER is investing in a range of applied research issues that governments and key employer and training provider stakeholders identify as being of highest priority to them.

Recognising the prior learning of adult apprentices: a match made in heaven or a rocky relationship?

Apprenticeships are changing, with more people over the age of 25 now undertaking them, and the amount of recognition of prior learning is also increasing. But are adult apprentices taking advantage of these earlier completion options?

What factors drive the costs and benefits of apprenticeships and what is the impact of government incentive changes on the apprenticeship system?

A joint research partnership between the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in Germany and NCVER is exploring two key issues impacting on the apprenticeship system in both Germany and Australia.

Employers’ views of work integrated learning

Who is delivering foundation skills?

The need for individuals to build and develop their foundation skills is becoming increasingly important with a general move to greater knowledge-based work. A recent NCVER survey looked at the workforce delivering foundation skills training.

Big opportunities from new reporting requirements: National VET Research Conference wrap up

NCVER data update

Find out more about the latest data releases on apprenticeships and traineeships, government-funded students and courses, the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, student outcomes, and forthcoming publications.

The Victorian Government is launching a major blitz to crackdown on “dodgy” training providers in order to lift standards in sector.

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A review by Deloitte has revealed widespread abuses, including qualifications being issued to students who have no demonstrable skills, inappropriate marketing practices, short course duration, providers claiming government funding for non-existent training delivery and poor oversight of third parties delivering training.

Skills minister Steve Herbert said that since November 2014, the government has had to restore funding eligibility for more than 10,000 students who gained inadequate qualifications, and has found dubious practices in a range of qualification areas.

He said the Government will spend $9 million on auditing, interviewing students, ensuring the paperwork was right and make sure they were getting “high-quality” training. The priority is to crackdown on providers who are doing short course delivery about which there have been complaints and are suspected of not providing quality training.

It’s unfair for students who lose their government entitlement but it’s also unfair for business and industry who can’t rely on the quality of a qualification when someone fronts up for a job. Initially the crackdown will target any area of training where students need to have high-quality skills to guarantee safety, such as civil engineering.

Herbert said that new providers who access government funding would be licensed through a P-plate system:

New providers will be limited to the number of courses they can deliver to ensure that before they really get full access to government funding, they prove they can provide high quality training.

Herbert said that the implementation of the review’s 19 recommendations will lead to tougher requirements for training providers delivering government-funding training, and improved quality of VET teacher qualifications. Further immediate actions based on the Review’s recommendations include:

Stricter entry requirements for the government-funded training system

A consumer awareness campaign with information to help students chose the right course and provider

Tighter restrictions on the approval of subcontracting, to where it is genuine, specialised and limited

Greater transparency of poor quality training, such as problem providers that had a contract terminated for serious compliance issues

A revamp of online tools for students, businesses and industry to get information and provide feedback

Herbert also referred the findings to the independent VET Funding Review, which is advising the Government on a more stable and sustainable funding model for Victoria’s training system, being undertaken by Bruce McKenzie, the former chief of Holmesglen Institute of TAFE.

McKenzie says work need to be done to improve quality in the private system. He told ABC radio in Melbourne

You can trust TAFE institutions. I don’t have any doubt about that. TAFE institutions are the cornerstone of the system. That’s been universally recognised in our consultations. What our focus is on is trying to incentivise [private] providers to improve [and] to be better performers than they are. And I think that can be achieved.

Senate committee endorses South Australian training plan

A Senate committee has endorsed the South Australian government’s plan for subsidised training and criticised the Commonwealth for threatening to withhold $65 million in funding to the state.

The Senate Education and Employment References Committee report on the ‘Operation, regulation and funding of private vocational education and training (VET) providers in Australia’, says the South Australian government’s plan “reflects deep concern with the existing national partnership agreement on training”.

“The response from the federal government, to effectively penalise South Australia for prioritising TAFE by withholding $65 million in funding is disappointing and short sighted,” the report says.

“The committee believes the government should work to review the existing arrangements to take on board concerns rather than punishing states for prioritising public sector provision”.

ASQA uncertain about private college qualifications

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) cannot determine whether all graduates of Vocation Ltd and its subsidiaries are fully qualified, the federal opposition has claimed.

In Senate Estimates hearings last week, ASQA confirmed that graduates of courses such as Health Support Services, and Early Childhood Education may not be competent in their qualifications.

“We need to have confidence that unqualified people trained by non-compliant providers are not entering care-based industries such as aged care, childcare and the health system,” they said.

“ASQA also told the committee that the authority has concerns about the quality of assessments across the board in the aged care training sector and has no capacity to rectify the issue”.

TDA takes role in vision for international education

TAFE Directors Australia (TDA) has been appointed to the federal government’s new Coordinating Council for International Education.

The Minister for Education and Training, Christopher Pyne announced that TDA Acting CEO Malcolm White will be on the council, which will be responsible for finalising the recently-released Draft National Strategy for International Education. Other members are:

Phil Honeywood, CEO, International Education Association of Australia

Kate Carnell AO, CEO, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Belinda Robinson , Chief Executive, Universities Australia

Sue Blundell, Executive Director, English Australia

Bill Spurr AO, Chair, Education Adelaide

“This is a vision that requires a coordinated and consistent approach across all levels of government. It is essential that the strategy is developed in partnership with education providers, industry and the wider community,” Mr Pyne said.

As a first step, the council will convene two roundtables at Parliament House, Canberra, on 18 June and 13 August.

Historic Sydney TAFE building gets a new lease of life

The NSW Skills Minister John Barilaro, pictured, has opened the refurbished Marcus Clark Building at Sydney TAFE at Ultimo.

The $7.5 million upgrade of the historic building included building works, new furniture and equipment, and a shop front with innovative services for students and staff.

“The new rooms provide a flexible learning environment and allow the very best of teaching innovation for students, who can access the best facilities and most modern teaching approaches on demand,” Mr Barilaro said.

The building is one of the largest classical buildings of the inter-war period, distinguished from its peers by the “skyscraper” effect of the 12- story central tower that is a landmark on the southern edge of Sydney’s CBD.

Five reasons to attend the TDA National Conference

In just a few months, from 9-11 September, TAFE industry leaders will be converging on Hobart, to get “Inspired”. There are five compelling reasons to attend:

1. Experience inspiring speakers and gain insights about trends

The conference is designed to motivate delegates to be more creative and to stimulate discussion on seeing the world differently, with speakers who have been tasked to goad, provoke and energise.

2. Exchange ideas

This year’s conference has many formal and informal networking opportunities. The pre-conference workshops and the Marketplace are back again. The interactive Marketplace topics particularly allow everyone to exchange ideas.

3. Collaboration leads to success

The greatest benefits of a conference are often intangible and serendipitous. That chance conversation in the barista line could make all the difference and bring new spheres of collaboration. A great conference is especially fertile ground for making new contacts and for collaboration.

4. Right-sized to really connect

2015 is a time for reflecting, recharging and reconnecting. The TDA National Conference is just the right size event to do all three. This year’s formal networking and connecting events include a Welcome Reception at MONA, ‘A Taste of Tasmania’ Conference Dinner and a Governor’s Reception at Governor’s House.

5. You want to know what all the buzz is about

You have heard the TDA National Conference is the best vocational education and training industry conference to attend. It’s time for you find out for yourself.

To register for the conference or download the draft program, please visit www.tda.edu.au.

Accommodation bookings are selling fast and substantial earlybird discounts close on 16 July.

APEC China workshop explores green skills

The APEC inception workshop of Systematic Design Of Green Skills Development in TVET was held last week in Beijing, attended by delegates from the Asia Pacific region, including Indonesia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Australia and China.

It included more than 100 delegates from China, keen to learn how they can incorporate green skills into their curriculum. Many are involved in a large APEC project to integrate green skills into their courses under the leadership of Lui Yufeng, Director & Research Professor at Beijing’s Central Institute for Vocational & Technical Education (CIVTE).

The forum heard what APEC countries have been doing and many were impressed with Australia’s leading role in integrating green skills through the COAG Green Skills Agreement 2009.

Linda Condon, on behalf of TDA, presented a paper ‘The Greening of Skills in Australia’ which outlined the way Australia had worked to integrate green skills through the work of the Industry Skills Councils, The National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne, the International Green Skills Network now managed by Sunraysia TAFE in Mildura, and with help from so many enthusiastic teachers in the VET sector.

Linda has been asked to continue to assist the group around the process of integration of Education about Sustainability and Education for Sustainability.

Government sector leads graduate recruitment

The number of organisations that recruited more than 20 graduates increased from 23 per cent in 2013, to 31.5 per cent in 2014, according to the latest employment report from Graduate Careers Australia.

The industry with the highest proportion of employers that recruited more than 20 graduates was Government/Defence/Health (41.5 per cent), followed closely by Accounting/Finance (40.4 per cent).

The highest proportion of participating employers that did not recruit any graduates as part of their 2014 intake was in the manufacturing industry (20.0 per cent).

Victoria to target training quality and international students – Minister Steve Herbert delivers Mick Young Oration

Minister Steve Herbert delivers the Mick Young Oration.

Victoria will shortly embark on a new risk-based approach to quality in the vocational education (VET) system, and will seek to position TAFEs as magnets for more international students.

Delivering the 2015 Mick Young Oration in Melbourne last Thursday, the Minister for Training and Skills, Steve Herbert, said he would soon be acting on the Deloitte review of quality assurance in the state’s training system.

“The Review analysed existing processes and procedures and will shortly be recommending a new, risk based, best practice framework,” the Minister said.

“We will not tolerate low quality training in this state”.

Mr Herbert also told guests at the Kangan Institute’s Automotive Centre of Excellence at Docklands that he wanted to see TAFEs as “go-to places for international students”.

“I think we need to strengthen TAFEs’ capacity to engage further in the international student market,” he said.

“The Mick Young Scholarships are about giving people a chance at education, the Minister said.

“I would like to thank the Young Family, the National Scholarships Trust and the TAFE Directors Association for their success in expanding them to so many people.

“The trust ensures all its scholarships are backed by industry, so students get training that leads to jobs, and businesses get the workers they need,” he said.

TAFE claws back training share in South Australia

TAFE SA will provide the majority of the new subsidised training places under the South Australian government’s WorkReady plan to operate from July.

Under the reforms, announced by Higher Education and Skills Minister Gail Gago, approximately 81,000 training places will be subsidised in 2015-16.

While this is approximately the same number of places as in the previous year, the number of courses has been cut from more than 900 to about 700.

Of the 81,000 training places, 51,000 will be new and 30,000 will comprise students already undertaking courses.

TAFE SA will provide 46,000 of the 51,000 new places. Of the 30,000 continuing places, about 16,000 will be delivered by private providers.

The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET), called on the federal government to withdraw $65 million in federal training funds to the state over the decision to “effectively ignore private training providers”.

Queensland to repeal laws for TAFE asset sell-off

The Queensland government has introduced a Bill to repeal the former government’s plan to sell TAFE assets and lease them out to third parties.

The Minister for Training and Skills, Yvette D’Ath last week introduced the Bill to repeal the Queensland Training Assets Management Authority Act 2014.

“QTAMA was created by those opposite to enable the sell-off of Queensland’s training assets to the highest bidder and removing access of TAFE to its own premises, its own equipment and leasing it out directly to the competitors of TAFE,” the Minister said.

“We opposed this act when it was introduced last year, and we made it very clear that we would repeal it as soon as the opportunity arose,” Ms D’Ath said.

TasTAFE enters agreement on new university campus

TasTAFE has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tasmanian government, Launceston City Council and the University of Tasmania (UTAS) as part of a plan for the university’s new Launceston campus.

Premier Will Hodgman said, if realised, the plan will allow for more course offerings, increased enrolments and a greater collaboration with TasTAFE.

As part of the MoU, the government will consider changing the requirements of the land where the university is situated at Newnham, to open it to development and investment.

“This will unlock the prime parcel of land to the potential for tens of millions in housing development, investment and a construction boom,” the Premier said.

The MoU is the result of collaboration between the government, UTAS, TasTAFE and the Launceston City Council, and will be financially supported through a $60 million Northern Cities Major Development initiative.

New executive team named at NCVER

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has announced a new executive team.

Ms Jodieann Dawe will be the National Manager of Research and Business Development, while Dr Mette Creaser will be National Manager of Statistics and Analytics.

Ms Dawe’s previous roles include CEO of Water Research Australia and Manager of Research Operations at Meat and Livestock Australia.

The Managing Director of NCVER Dr Craig Fowler said Dr Creaser was an internal appointment, having managed the National Surveys Branch since 2008. She came to NCVER from the Australian Bureau of Statistics where she held a variety of roles, including Director of Environment Statistics.

“She has a very strong technical ability and contributed to the development and implementation of many of NCVER’s advanced tools for producing complex summative statistics,” Dr Fowler said.

EduTECH, Brisbane, 2-3 June

Did you know that EduTECH is the only event that brings together the entire education and training sector from every state in Australia, plus New Zealand, Asia and internationally?

It is made up of one large central exhibition and eight different congresses as well as post-event masterclasses. That is why you should attend.

EduTECH will be at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, 2-3 June.

TDA is a proud supporting body of EduTECH, and invites you to come along for the VET Leaders Congress, specifically designed for leaders and managers from RTOs, institutes and continued learning organisations.

William Angliss apprentice wins UK scholarship

William Angliss Institute third year apprentice chef Sam Smith has won a scholarship for international work experience at Fergus Henderson’s St John Restaurant in London.

Sam was selected by Ian Curley, head chef at The European in Melbourne, and an ambassador for the scholarship program.

Finalists were interviewed and required to cook for a day with Ian at his iconic Spring Street kitchen.

Sam is currently completing his apprenticeship at the RACV Club restaurant.

The scholarship is provided by the William Angliss Institute Foundation which provides educational opportunities and financial assistance to support disadvantaged students in achieving their career ambitions.

The Victorian Review of VET Funding, headed by former Holmesglen chief Bruce Mackenzie, is due to make an initial report to the government in early June (with its final report at the end of August). Over 750 submissions were made to the review by VET providers, industry and employers, students, teachers, parents and other interested parties, including by TAFE Directors Australia (TDA), representing the public providers, the Australian Council of Private Education and Training (ACPET), representing private RTOs. Funding issues aside, on which there are significant issues, funding issues aside, TDA and ACPET aren’t worlds apart in what they propose.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

a differential rate of funding be introduced, on the basis of ownership (with private RTOs receiving 70% of the full rate and TAFEs 100%) and mode of delivery (entirely on line and workplace delivery receiving 20% of the full rate and institutionally based delivery receiving 100%), with loadings for regional delivery and special needs students

no less than 60% of the Victorian education budget assigned to VET is allocated to Victoria’s TAFE Institutes

a pool of funds available only to TAFE institutes to tender for developing quality learning and assessment materials associated with qualifications and courses on the national register (the space currently dominated by Industry Skills Councils)

align nominal hours in Victorian government purchasing guides with the volume of learning specified in the AQF

introduce entry requirements, based on ATAR or completed qualifications, for Diploma and Advanced Diploma qualifications

require RTOs to only engage brokers/third party agents that are registered with a government agency and that it be an offence to operate as such an agent if unregistered.

ACPET supports a diverse and competitive sector to drive quality and innovation….The private VET sector plays a significant role in contributing to the Victorian economy; through the development of the workforce and as well as supporting VET as a major export industry.

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Not surprisingly, ACPET has taken umbrage at TDA’s funding proposals, with ACPET chief Rod Camm saying he was “dumbfounded” by the proposals.

In its submission, ACPET acknowledges that TAFE has an important role to play, but says this role needs to be shaped by student choice. The role of TAFE as a public service provider needs to be made clear and, ideally, aspects of its operation should be funded outside of the contestable market. Community service obligations should be funded and supported from additional investment, and be provided by both public and private providers. It says that re-creating a government funded monopoly ignores the considerable progress the sector has made since the introduction of contestability.

To improve quality, ACPET proposes outcome based moderation where students and trainers are independently assessed. If independently sampled and assessed in person, this would highlight non-compliant RTO delivery and allow the relevant government bodies to respond to inappropriate behaviour in a timely manner.

It says closer scrutiny of how the ‘amount of learning’ in determined, advertised and delivered for courses will help ensure learners acquire the skills of a certification. The AQF minimum hours of volume of learning should be mandatory rather than observed, although ACPET acknowledges that it is challenging to regulate how long a qualification should take, as there are many variables within each type of training scenario, such as Language, Literacy and Numeracy issues, Disabilities and location of delivery.

It suggests that here is potential for ACPET itself to assist in in providing greater scrutiny of private RTOs as part of its peer review requirements under the ACPET Code of Ethics and proposes that ACPET membership should be considered as part of the selection process for private providers to access VTG. ACPET could also play a role in assisting with the physical assessment of all private RTOs that have applied for subsidised training funding.

Whistleblowers have accused the Victorian Education Department of a cover up after its investigation into claims Box Hill Institute passed failing students found no wrongdoing.

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Four former teachers and two students wrote to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission in March and claimed that in mid-2013 a number of Box Hill student’s exams were altered, increasing their marks to the pass rate of 50.

They also contacted Training and Skills Minister Steve Herbert, who said the Education Department would investigate the claims.

The whistleblowers also alleged that the TAFE failed to investigate concerns raised by three experienced teachers about suspected cheating by students.

None of the complainants – who alleged exam papers had been altered to ensure struggling TAFE students passed – were contacted as part of the investigation.

A dodgy Melbourne employment agency and unregistered training provider that advertised jobs that did not existin order to lure potential employees into paying for training or internships with the company has been fined $166,000 in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.

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Consumer Affairs Victoria took action against the now collapsed entity Keat Enterprises in the court last week, after it investigated several complaints last year over Keat Enterprises’ “bait and switch” tactics.

Keat Enterprises, which went into voluntary administration in June 2014 after the accusations reached the media, was found to have posted fake ads for graduate accountants and interns on Seek.com.au in order to lure applicants into its unaccredited in-house training.

At the end of the fake job interviews, applicants were instead marketed training courses for work in the accounting industry, at a cost of between $2000 and $3000.

The majority of the ads did not mention any extra costs and those that did mention fees referred to them as “software licensing and CPA mentoring costs”.

Consumer Affairs Victoria also found Keat Enterprises undertook very little accountancy work, and was not registered with the Tax Practitioners Board, as its main business was providing training services.

At the time of the investigation, Daniel Leong, chief executive of Keat Partners denied all allegations about his business to Fairfax, saying the claims seemed to have originated from “a few disgruntled ex-employees”.

But Keat Enterprises was last week convicted of 23 counts of engaging in misleading conduct in relation to employment, and 10 counts of making false and misleading representations about the supply of services, including making false representations that it was a tax agent.

We are pleased that the court recognised the serious breaches committed by Keat Enterprises; this will serve as a reminder to other employment and training agencies that they will not get away with false and misleading conduct.

It is a very serious offence under the Australian Consumer Law to misrepresent the availability, nature, terms or conditions of employment. Taking advantage of vulnerable people seeking employment is a cowardly scam that robs victims of both hope and money.

ACPET undoubtedly has taken a strong position regarding the quality of our members and the importance of private tertiary education. We are passionate supporters of a quality tertiary education sector.

While it is always difficult to spot whether we are making a difference, I get the sense it just might be.

Last week I attended the Australia Japan Business Spotlight VET Showcase Mission in Japan.

The event was introduced by Bruce Gosper, CEO Austrade, the Ambassador to Japan His Excellency Bruce Miller and the Hon Steven Ciobo MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade and Investment.

I was asked as CEO of ACPET to deliver the keynote speech on the structure of Australia’s system and how it operates. While the event was organised exceptionally well by Austrade, ACPET was asked to deliver what traditionally would have been delivered by a government speaker. This was strong recognition that we know our sector, the policy and regulatory frameworks and that we represent a relevant and quality component of the industry…. Read more

The Excellence in Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) Practice Award recognises innovation and excellence by an individual involved in improving LLN skills in an educational, community or workplace context. The Award is one of the 18 awards presented at the 2015 Australian Training Awards, the pe… Read more

The 2015 Conference Committee is welcoming workshop abstracts which must align with the conference theme. Conference workshop themes are: Innovation, Diversity, and Quality Abstracts will need to focus on at least one of these 3 themes. As with all ACPET conferences there will be a key foc… Read more

Applications for the 2015 Green Gown Awards Australasia will open on 7 May and the deadline is 4pm Wednesday 29 July. The Awards are held in conjunction with the the 15th International ACTS Conference at Deakin University’s Waterfront Campus in Geelong, Victoria from 21-23 October 2015. The t… Read more